QUAKER CITY -- It was her first time on a drill pad. Dressed in coveralls, steel-toe shoes and a hard hat, she could have been mistaken for an intrepid reporter.

Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor said she was excited to be one of the visitors to the J. Hall Drilling Pad, Rig 63, in Quaker City Thursday afternoon.

"I've had an opportunity to tour and visit a number of businesses tied to the shale industry across Ohio, but this was my first tour of a drilling pad and it as even more impressive than I imagined. What an exciting operation ... And to think there are so many others just like it across this region of the state -- it's greats news for the local economy, for the workers and for their families," said Taylor.

"Having these resources here in eastern and southeastern Ohio means more jobs, more investment and something positive for every community touched by this boom. It was equally important to see how seriously the industry is taking safety and regulations while working with the state to ensure this opportunity lives up to its potential in a way that protects our health, safety and the land."

Patrick McKinney, president and chief operating officer for Pennsylvania-based Rex Energy Corp., led the tour.

"It was our pleasure to host the Lt. Governor on a rig tour and demonstrate to her how we are safely and responsibly developing the Utica Shale in Ohio. Rex Energy plans on operating in eastern Ohio for quite a long time, so any time an elected official has an interest in learning more about what we do, and more importantly how we doit, we're always happy to accommodate. We thank the Lt. Governor for her leadership in making Ohio an attractive state to invest capital and fostering a climate where companies like Rex can create jobs and spur economic growth across eastern Ohio," said McKinney.

After a safety briefing, McKinney began explaining the drilling operation and led the group up to a platform at the first level on the rig, and because the rig is stationed on a hill, the view of the countryside is fantastic. The rig is 150 feet from the ground up, called a triple rig, easily identified by the sections of pipe welded every 50 feet.

"The company arrived at the site last month and began drilling about three weeks ago," said Rick Harliss, Rex Energy drilling supervisor. "We are at a vertical depth of about 8,000 feet. We are approaching the curve, which means we will begin horizontal drilling."

The company anticipates the well will be in operation sometime this winter.

In addition to explaining the drilling operation, McKinney elaborated on the company profile.

"Rex currently has 21,000 net acres across the Utica Shale region -- 16,000 acres in Carroll County -- and continues to look for more opportunities to expand. The remainder of our net acreage is in Noble, Guernsey and Belmont counties. The company began operations in Guernsey County in 2013.

"We have more than 300 employees across our operational footprint. We aim to hire locally whenever possible. In addition, we strive to hire and work with local contractors and sub-contractors," he said.

"Rex Energy has partnered with two midstream companies to transport and process our natural gas. We use Blue Racer in our Warrior North acreage and MarkWest in our Warrior South acreage. We refer to this area as our Warrior North and South acreage. Both companies have been great to work with in Ohio."

Rex has a total of 26 wells in various stages of development in its Utica operating area. There are six wells planned for the J. Hall pad, and five wells planned for the J. Anderson pad, a short distance from the J. Hall pad.

"I have been in the oil and gas industry since 1982, working in Texas, Oklahoma, the Rockies and California. What's happening in the Appalachian Basin is by far the most exciting time in my career," said McKinney.